Marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge challenged athletes, both upcoming and veterans, to treat athletics as a profession if they want to achieve longevity.
Speaking on NTV, the two-time Olympic Games champion stated that runners should view athletics as a career rather than an avenue for making money.
“They should actually think about preparation and planning and not put money on their mind. The moment you put money in your mind, that is where actually your longevity will be cut off,” stated Kipchoge.
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The father of three added that treating the discipline as a profession will also make them stay active for many years.
“The moment they realize athletics is a profession they can stay relevant for long and run for over 20 years.
“The moment they discover running is a real career, the moment they discover and treat athletics as a profession, longevity will knock in,” he advised.
Kipchoge, who broke the marathon world record twice in less than five years also explained the difference between amateur and professional athletes.
“I want to tell you that there are two types of athletes, the professional and amateur ones. An amateur athlete can win a medal, a professional athlete can also win a medal, but they are different.
“A professional athlete is one who respects his duties and follows it to the latter. An amateur is an athlete who is actually training but is full of life, what contributes to life is controlling his mind.
“I want to tell them to be real professionals, be self-disciplined,” ended the Kaptagat-based road race runner.
Kipchoge is without doubt the most successful marathoner in the history of the event. He is respected not only in Kenya but also across different corners of the globe.
The 37-year-old has won nearly all marathon events that he has taken part in including the London Marathon, Tokyo Marathon and Berlin Marathon.
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